Review: Tom Ford Métallique

Metallique is the latest fragrance release from Tom Ford, a beauty brand that I adore for it’s makeup, skincare, and fragrances. I have been deadset on trying this, even considering blind buying it as it is at a more palatable price point than a typical Tom Ford fragrance from his Private Blend line ($150 for a 1.7oz bottle as opposed to $240).

I finally had the opportunity to try Metallique this past Saturday, and wanted to share my thoughts for anyone who has been debating purchasing this new fragrance. The fragrance was available for test at my local counter inside of Saks Fifth Avenue (I spotted the bottle from a good 20 feet away and immediately rushed over to it).

I began by spritzing it on a test strip of paper, and my first impressions were – 1) there doesn’t appear to be anything “metallique” about it. 2) It felt very commercial, with an unidentifiable mix of sweetness, albeit not overwhelmingly so. 3) I’d be shocked if this wears well on me. In short, it didn’t seem like it was going to be my jam, but as it wasn’t anything super offensively strong, I decided to dive in and try it on my skin.

On both the paper and my skin it smelled sweet. After a few seconds, I could make out the white florals (the SA mentioned heliotrope) and then vanilla, but with a nuttiness and creaminess. After walking away from the counter (a couple of minutes after applying), I could detect stronger notes of vanilla, which I briefly enjoyed before I began smelling…oranges. And then orange soda o.O. Yup, 5 minutes in, my husband and I were debating whether I smelled more like Sunkist or Fanta. Probably more like an orange cream soda.

When Bergamot turns on you…

Now that I have had a good look at the notes, I can see that Bergamot is a top note. As a child, I always loved citrus fragrances (probably because my mother loves them), but once I hit high school, I realized that citrus notes, particularly Bergamot, tend to turn on me into something that I really dislike.

I checked again about an hour after applying, and at that point I caught a smell I didn’t hate – white florals with more subtle sweetness and tobacco. Unlike the pipe tobacco of my tried and true Tobacco Vanille, but more like the tobacco leaf in Chergui by Serge Lutens. The sweet tobacco just kind of flattened as the evening went on – something akin to a soggy, already smoked cigarette. Late Saturday night and Sunday morning, that scent was still there prior to showering. An unattractive (to me) tobacco and slight white floral and vanilla but it all smelled kind of soapy to me. Like sweet laundry. I also feel like it has a baby powder quality to it without being powdery. And full disclosure, even after showering, I could still smell it. We have a “scrubber,” people! One thing I do really love about Tom Ford fragrances (and Serge Lutens) is their potency and staying power. Unfortunately, that isn’t such a wonderful thing when you don’t actually enjoy the fragrance.

Personally, it’s not for me. I am surprised, because in packaging and name – this seemed like it would be right up my alley. There really is nothing “metallic” about it. Unless you count the thought of a can of Sunkist (which is what I thought of. It awoke a memory of when I was 8, and we’d frequent our neighborhood pool and drink cans of Sunkist that we purchased from the soda machine). Obviously perfume is a personal experience and works differently with different body chemistries. If you don’t have the issues that I have with citrus (lime and bergamot are present here), you may have a better experience. As will all fragrances, YMMV. 🤷🏻‍♀️